Hey, everybody. This is Ben with Live From the Path. Unfortunately, I won't be able to bring you the whole show that we recorded with John Paul Virch. It's really a bummer. It was such a great show but I we did get some alternative audio after some technical difficulties that got you about the last ninety minutes of the program. So I'm gonna turn you over to that with the show already in progress. Please enjoy life in the path with special guest, John Paul Birch. And and a fervent prayer of mine is there's just so many musicians and most of which are on that list that are like, I what I love about them is that they're just so them, but there's no way you could ever even just, like, pretend to be them. Like, you would be clearly imitating them.

And it there's like a certain like, you know, line or, you know, where it's cool to celebrate those influences and stuff. But my goal, my I think my chief goal is to be as uniquely me as I possibly can be. Just just because I feel like that's what I love about all the artists I love so much. Like, on my top of my list is, like, biggest influences in my life were Korn and Slipknot and Toole and Deftones and Incubus and, like, all these folks They're just them. They're just so them. Jonathan Davis is one of the first ones that comes to mind where like he just his his singing from the day day one I started listening to him was just like, who he no one like you just and there's like three guys in there being I mean, all all of them essentially, but especially the ones that have been there from the beginning, they're all that way. And I'm like, they're bass playing. Like, you can't play bass like that. He only he's the only one who does. And so it's hard for me to, like, understand what I'll be like, but I want to do that. Like, I wanna be just me as much as I can be so that if anybody else loves me, it's because they're like, man, he's so John Paul Burt. Yeah. You know?

So JPB? Yeah. That song, you you said that you had written half of it before. Yep. Most most of it was actually written before I became a Christian. Gotcha. Gotcha. Final touches after. Obvious, like, part in the song where where it splits or did you like, did you have the first half, last half, or it was just kind of a mix? Not really. I mean, I actually, most of it was, fine tuning at the very end. I don't really remember any I had all almost all the lyrics written, almost all the chord structure and I think it was just some final touches,

but I just can't I don't even remember what the final touches were to be honest. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. So, so we said we would come back to it. Like, tell me more about this about this subway encounter. Sure. So, I gotta tread kinda lightly because I wanna protect the privacy of the a person on the other end of this But essentially but but it's also too good of a story not to tell. So I

saw a young lady on the subway train, and and and it was just like I had just got back from Turkey, and I I I've had a train wreck of romantic relationships, you know, my lifelong that was just real bad and and was, you know, had just not wasn't getting any better at this day and that like and I kinda like I was just at a point where I don't know, maybe some kind of breaking point, but I saw this beautiful young lady on the subway and it was like I had this very love at first sight. Like, I would marry this woman. You know, I don't know why. She's glowing. I don't know what's, you know, happening right now. But, maybe at any other point in my life, I would have tried to go

over and talk to her and strike up a conversation or something. And for whatever reason, this day was a little different. And I just decided to turn myself around so I couldn't see her. So I actually, like like, turned my body and just was like, I'm gonna turn myself completely around so I can I'm not even tempted to look at her. And, the very moment that I turned and looked the other way, I thought to myself,

it's time for me to focus on my spiritual life. That was the exact thought that ran through my mind the moment I turned and at the exact same time, you know, they talk about Kronos time, like the woman that was with the young lady, she said, so when you go back home to Iowa over vacation, will you or when you're on vacation, will you go back home to Iowa? And, like, I had never met anybody or heard the word Iowa, I think, my whole time in New York City. So I just dropped all, like, you know, plan.

And in that moment, I just I didn't even think about it. I immediately walked over and was just like, did I just hear you from Iowa? I'm from Iowa. I've never met anybody from Iowa and New York City. And we started talking, you know, for two or three bus stops, I nervously ripped off like, I wrote down my email on my notebook and ripped it off and gave it to her. And I was like, you know, I'm nice to meet you. We should go to a show or something sometime. And she shook my hand, told me your name, got off the train, and I was like, I'll probably never see her again. And I didn't know what had happened, but it was weird. And I was like, I went home and I didn't think much of it. I thought I could never hear from her probably, but I had an email waiting for me and and she's asking me about my schedule and some we could get together sometime. So

long story short, we got together and hit it off like I had never really hit it off with anybody in my life and came really close in a short amount of time and she shared the gospel with me in ways I had never some some key things I had never heard before. Yeah. And I was just so head over heels in love at the same time that I was all ears. And I'll print this in. And I mean Show me more. Yeah. Like, so she a couple of the things she had shared with me that I remember that were just so, like, necessary for me to hear were she's the first person that ever said to me that the claim was Jesus is God. Mhmm. I'd never heard that before in such terms. Yeah. And for some reason, I just made all the difference in the world. I was like, okay. I like, that's different. Yep. Like, I need to that's different. That makes things different. Yeah. Is that the claim? Like, I had no idea, you know? Is that what we're really talking about? Yeah. And then I think another one of the things that like made it especially approachable, she shared with me that like that the idea that faith itself was a gift. Mhmm.

And I that was even maybe more profound to me because I had struggled my whole life with what a little I knew about Christianity where I was like, how can I be like, I I don't I can't help the fact I don't believe in this? Like, I just it's too crazy for me to believe in this. I'm too scientific to believe in miracles and things like that. Like Yep. What like, I can't help it. You know? So like, what you Right. Right. And so this idea that faith itself was a gift, like, between all the things that was go were going on and it it prompted my first prayers, which my first prayers were, god, if this is true, if this Christianity thing is true, help me to be even capable of believing it. Right. Yep. And then of course the immediate follow-up is, and if it is true, help me to believe it. Yep.

And then not long after that, I think the way God answered that prayer quick was she started sharing sermons with me from a pastor she had back in California. And he was like a doctorate in apologetics and things that like I had also never really been exposed to too heavily. Yep. And he was all over it. And he was just he had a like regiment, like, you know, argumentations set up week after week. I watched maybe a dozen of his sermons, and I was just like, wow. I have now heard arguments that, like, somehow or another,

this makes more sense to me. Like, this is a more reasonable art it's more reasonable, to believe that these things actually happened. Like, can argue better now that these things happened than I can't. And that was my entry level at that point, my understanding of what Christianity was. I thought I was a Christian. I was like, I just believe this happened. I'm doing it. I was like, no, so I guess I'm a Christian. Then kind of like, you know, you know, again, long story short, about the moment I identified as a Christian,

kinda all hell broke loose in my life. Uh-huh. And lots of different things from every angle just started not being pleasant and hard. And I ended up moving back from New York City to Iowa for some family stuff. And that just it just kind of started like the process of like, this is much more than just merely believing in it. Yeah. This is this is actually a relationship that's being developed with God and, following him.

And, you know, it's just been that's been the journey for the last, coming up on nine years now. Wow. I always love listening to stories about how God does this kind of stuff because it always blows apart the thing that I thought would never be true. Remember we had a guy come in here, I don't know, it had been last year or something. He was talking about handing out pamphlets to people. I'm like, oh pamphlets. These will never He's like, and I actually came to know the Lord by reading this pamphlet. I'm like, okay, well And then same thing is you're like, I was listening to an apologetics

guy. Right? And I'm like, no one listens to apologetics until they're like thirty years in and they're like, okay. Wanna fine tune some of this thing, you know? Yeah. And here you are like, I don't know. I started out on the apologetics guy and it was pretty solid. Right. No. Think you're right. I feel like one of the telltale signs of God now to me is that don't ever underestimate what He can use. Exactly. He can use absolutely anything. I can't quote the verse, but the one about like, uses the things that the world thinks are important to bring to nothing. Things that are seemingly insignificant to the world to bring to nothing, things the world thinks is significant.

Something like that. Yeah. That's what he's all about. That's totally the truth. It's it's kind of the thing that refreshes. I find it refreshes my relationship with with him like at because he I mean, I could never box him. And I'll be like and I'll say it out loud. I'm gonna be like Yeah. I would never But I tried. I got the box, you know, but then I'll do something. I'm like, totally had you in the box on that one. Alright. I I I see what you're doing. Okay. I'm out. It's kinda one of the our never ending, like, struggles. It's just like we're always just the tendency. Can make I it more neat and tidy and be in control? Okay, that's the whole opposite of this. This is not what that is. It's so funny because Christianity catches such a bad rap but it's like having some wild friend. Know? No. The wildest. Ridiculous

things. I'm like, oh god. What I mean? You know, it's like that God, could you tone us down a little bit? Let's go on a three day trip to Kentucky and you're like, what? We gotta call some people. This is what the holy spirit's like. He's like, Let's do this crazy thing. By the way, I need you to go to Homemakers in about twenty minutes. I got a guy there you need to talk to. I guess. Yeah, reminds me of a time I had a Holy Spirit moment at one point that was so funny, I had started working at a restaurant and

I had on my mind that I wanted to get a a tortilla press for, like, for fresh pressing tortillas. Yeah. Right. And and I had a plan to reach out to the folks from Fernando's to see if they would give me a recommendation. Yeah. So I'm sitting there one night and I just suddenly, it was like I had a strong thought, I need to go get pants right now. I need to go get pants right now. And it was one of those like, what is going like this is this is me, but it's it's a little intense for like seems like I'm being I'm telling myself to go get pants right now. Why would I right now, like fifteen minutes before the store is closed, this is dumb. Right. So I was I tried to ignore it, And then like it wouldn't go away. So I was like, alright. Buy I'll go to Target. It's closer. I went to Target. Closed.

Or they didn't have the pants that I wanted. I forget what it was. It was a no it was it was no win. I was avoiding going to the mall. And so I I realized I have to go to the mall. I went to the mall and like I bought my pants and it was a good deal actually. So I was like thinking, god hook me up with some good pants. This is great. Thanks, Jesus. That was what this must have been all about. Got some new chinos. And and and I remember praying on the way out. I was like, god, if there was any other reason why I was supposed to be here, like, the seams pants, like, I don't know. Just, you know, let let your will be done. Yeah. And and and I I ran right into the dudes from Fernando's in the in the in the food court. And I was like, hey. I I was gonna reach out to you guys and they and long story short, we flipped around and sold me their used tortilla press they weren't using anymore Wow. That week. Oh my gosh. I was like, wow. This is nuts. The title, like Chapter one of of of John's biography, when the Lord got me a tortilla press. Right. And some and some nice paints. And some nice paints. And a good deal. You know you know what I love about those about what you guys were just talking about is that like, because god will use anything, he can and does, actively does, it it should curtail human arrogance

that says, I have the thing figured out either as a church, as a person that says, oh, God doesn't work that way or God will not work through this thing or it is in my control and my own ability to persuade someone to convince them to give up something, to convince them to give their life to Jesus. It's the miraculous things that God allows you to play a part in it. But like, there's just like, we should look around in awe and humility and go, didn't need to be here and God let me be. You know, I mean, like, I think God is all over my personality with my story and that like, even though I had this really I feel like, you know, everyone's story is extraordinary. But my story seems to be a little bit more spicy, I guess, like some. Are you just saying spicy because it was a tortilla press? Yeah. Pun intended.

But I don't know, just seems like kind of over the top, that like again, it's not to dismiss everyone's story is valid and good and special and unique no matter how you came to Christ. Right. But I think like even though I had this extraordinary encounter, like super extraordinary, like so many things, like it was just like God was barreling into my life and going, here I am, like, meet me. Like I am here. And like, you know, he just like revealed himself to me in a way that was so extraordinary. Yep. Yet, like, I still I'm finding myself thinking that, like, I'm gonna be the one to, like, you know, share something in such a way that they're gonna believe now because of what I said. And I'm like Yep. I often remember I'm like, what did it take for me? Like, I had to have real extraordinary circumstances all lined up in this like crazy serendipity

for me to get like my attention. Yep. So like, you know, so but at the same time, like you said, I am a part of it. Exactly. I don't know what God's gonna use. Yeah. You know, he can use my little sharing whatever with anybody at any time. I think that's the thing. I don't know. To to you, it was just extraordinary thing. For her, was just on the subway. Well, also, and then long story short, I'll say long story short a lot, but the stories are super long. What I didn't know, I learned months later that because we were praying together at one point and

she said, you know, it was a miracle meeting you. And I was like, what did you mean by that? Right. And she said, I was praying in the streets before I met you that that I would meet someone special. And like five minutes later, she meets this woman who it starts raining a little bit, and she meets this woman, and she's thinking this is the answer to her prayer. She meets this kind of, you know, strange lady, and they they make their way down to the subway train together and they're trying to make their way back home wherever that is. They live in the same neighborhood. Yep. And so this she's having this conversation with this lady she just met and and then as her who like causes like who says says the thing, like, when you go home on vacation, when you go to Iowa Yep. Without her saying it, I don't go over there and talk to her. I'm still just looking the other way, you know, minding my business, getting serious about my spiritual life. Wow.

Like, yeah, it was just like she she was praying for something that came to pass in a way she wasn't seeing happen. Yep. You want one, I'll send two. Yeah. Right. You get two special people today. I think we lost touch with Jan though. That was her name. Remember. You know, you know, the other thing that I think that that maybe is an encouragement toward is is is what does it look like to pray with the expectation that God will will do something? And it's not that you're forcing God's hand. Often what it does is it peels back a layer that you would miss. Like it's basically saying I'm open to seeing what's going on around me. Yeah, I'm available. Yeah, exactly right. And like how often actually I was just talking to somebody else earlier this week who was he had had some experiences where he said, I just, I prayed expectantly,

expecting that God is and has been and will continue to work around me to let me see it so that I may walk and be a part of it. And like, I just think that even sometimes when we look at faithfulness, we think of it as subjection to God's view of the world. Now I would use a different word. I would say the grace of being able to walk in what God said was good. That's a gift. I totally agree with that. But there's actually even another element on top of that, which is not just can I adhere or try to

like allow the process to have me walk in God's good world under his good intent, but also to participate in and see and be able to enjoy and watch God do things around me? And sometimes in our attempt or our thought of being obedient, we almost kind of cut that off. Like it's our level of control of which our obedience does as opposed to opening up and saying, God, yeah, let me walk faithful in the things you have in front of me and let me watch you work and keep my eyes open so that I don't miss it. And so like,

I love the thought of being intentional about praying expectedly. I think that's fantastic. Well, it makes me think of like, I really love the way you guys wrap up your show. Like be faithful in the means God will handle the leads. It's been on my mind ever since I checked out your podcast and heard that line, it's just stuck with me because something I'm always coming back to I think is like I get frustrated with God because I'm like, you show up in all these little things that don't seem significant to me,

real like they're significant ish, but like they're real little. Like I'm trying to trap a bug and you help me trap the bug. Why did and you know, like you'll do it in such a way where I'm like, clearly help me out there. Then like I got them Jesus. Then I'm like And I almost immediately get a little frustrated where I'm like, but like I'm praying some big stuff over here, where are you on that? How like this has been years of what is going on? I get real frustrated for a moment, but I feel like what God has been showing me little by little and I'm getting more and more confident in, is that shows up in all these little things to help me trust him in the big things. Yes. Right. Where where there isn't an answer for years or or, you know, for a long time. Yep. And that man, like and that that has like ever since I think I started thinking of it that way, like I am praying more expectantly in the big things that I had kinda given up on, where I was like, man, you just this is what is going on here. But Right. The big stuff, like I I have a a little bit, just enough where I noticeably am like, I you are here right now and you hear this prayer and you're doing stuff. Yep. I don't it might be years, but Yep. You are active in this. You know what's interesting is like, I think along those same lines is that like, obviously, god knows what he's doing. And so his timetables are different than my expectations or like, this is what I would do if I were God. Well, okay. I think we should just stop right there. Necessarily. He's God. Right. And so what's interesting is that this week,

there have been like folks that my family and I have been praying for. I mean, like no joke for years. Yeah. And like there was been a couple sets of of unique circumstances of which a family is is having connection points with the people and message of Jesus in a way that they haven't for a decade. And and what felt like, like I would never say this, but like you could look at it and go like languishing, where is God? Actually, it's one of my favorite things I read Habakkuk this week. I just opened the thing up and I said, I'm taking something in. For everybody else that's Habakkuk. It's Habakkuk.

Anyway, Habakkuk is great because like the opening of the opening of that is You like gotta stop it. You don't say it? It's Habakkuk. No one says it that way. It doesn't matter. Arabica. Yeah. We're not in we're not in third century Judaism. You can't you just say it like we say it. Okay. Arabica. Habakkuk. Yeah. What were you reading in Habakkuk? Anyway

so in in in Habakkuk I don't even know the right way now. So It ain't doing it. Book of Arabic. Is that a book? His accusations were against god. Like, basically, we're going like, where have you been? Like, like, hi, I've waited and you're not responding. Why do you let your people languish? Why do you let these people,

like, step on your name and insult your people and all this stuff? So like everything that a person who doesn't love and follow Jesus has accused God of, God's prophets have started with. Because they're having this, they're as humans who believe this thing is true are having the same experience and go fine. If I buy you are who you say you are, what the heck is going on right here? Yeah. And so like, I think sometimes, you know, even in a right relationship with God, you can go, I felt like this was something where like, I'm praying with good purpose and this is for your kingdom. Why isn't it happening? Yeah. And, but it's interesting and just as I think about stuff going on around me this week, it's God's going, yeah, I mean, heard your prayer, man. And it's steepened the way that it's supposed to and it's coming together the way that you asked for. I just like part of this is you trusting me and then part of this is you getting to delight in paying off in long promises, which I that's how I promise. I saw you know, I I I'm I I never thought I'd be quoting Bob Goff but you know, no offense to Bob Goff because I've read a couple of his books and you know, gotten some good stuff from him. Yeah. Yeah. But Bob he he posted something on Instagram recently that I think is along these lines and really good. He's like, I'm always trying to put in the microwave stuff that God's trying to slow cook. Right. Yeah.

Yeah. Totally. Dang. That's some truth. That Bob Goff, I tell you. He'll get to best you. He will. Just when you think that you've moved on to like like Jesus complex flavors and brussels sprouts You used to mean quinoa. And then here comes Bob Goff with his spray can of cheese and you're like Yeah. Give me some. Yeah. Like, yeah. Velveeta. It's so great, Bob. Yeah. Tell me more. Yeah. Cheese Wiz and chicken in a biscuit. Yeah. My mom does something that that I I used to think is super weird but as as my walk, ugh, I said my walk. Sorry, Christianology. As as my relationship with Christ continues, I find it less and less weird as time goes on.

She she has altars like she does stones. And and reminder prayers and stuff like that for like big stuff that's happened or little stuff for like this child survived or these people are married or stuff like that. I used to think it was so weird like the first time I saw it, I was like, oh no, it's weird. Okay. Alright. Fine. Like, you got a stone, you're writing on marker, whatever but like, when it comes to remembering what god's done in their story, it is such a beautiful thing to see this literal pile of rocks. Yeah. That's like, this is this is this person's alive and and these people are married and this person has made it through this trial and all these different things and I again, I used to think it was so weird. Nowadays, I almost cry when I see that pile of rocks because I'm like, what a beautiful thing to like remind ourselves as we're praying and as we're being intentional and knowing that we can trust God and challenging him in certain ways to where he's like, you don't scare me and your challenges aren't crazy. Bring it, really, like show me what you think you've got, I'll show you who I am. And it's time and time again that that it I I'm brought back to those stones and I'm like, god has never failed. Right. He's never failed once and her story is so beautiful and like, it extends generations

now of this beauty that god has from her family and it like the fact that I'm her son is another one of those and it's such a beautiful thing and it's a reminder to me to be like, you know, sometimes I do get that. God, I trust you in little things but I don't know if I can hand over the big stuff. I don't know if I can hand over things that mean something to me. Yeah. Yeah. And then I remember those tones and I'm like, no, that that's that's exactly what I need to hand to him. Yep. Is he, there's nothing he's failed on. You can trust him in the little, you can trust him in the gigantic things and it may not be the quick yes or no and it may not be the quick answer that you get but some of these stories span twenty years. Yeah. That it's like, you started praying for this twenty years ago and you thought I failed you or you thought that you couldn't trust me but I never once let you go and here I am now. Remember the stones. I've never once failed and I will always be there for you. Yep. Well, I think I think biblically, like, of all the places where god had tried to intentionally put things into place so that his people did not forget. And we they blow right by them. But, like, like, all of the think of it just even as as, you know, the the the Israelites are like, they're memorizing scripture. They're doing put it on your doorstep. Put it on your forehead. Like these aren't like goofball things. These are don't forget that you are I am your God. You are my people. I am with you. And I tasked you. I called your father Abraham with a specific job. You are a chosen people who are meant to mediate between me and the rest of the world that they may come to know me. And like raise an Ebenezer, build an altar. Like it's one of those things where like I get, this feels odd coming because I'm like, I I I'm in a house church, but like, there's something to you with something you guys were talking about last week on the show about walking into a town and seeing the highest thing above the town is a cross on a big old church building. And because it takes all kinds and because I like to be reminded that the people of Jesus are holding forth somewhere in this town. And there's something comforting about that. And I I I've often thought back to like,

it it means something different now maybe in a landscape of of of different buildings and things but like, let's say it was 1830 and you're pulling up on a town and like the the way that the reason you know that there's a town up ahead is the first thing that you take in is some people of Jesus had put a really big spire in there. Yeah. That you may know the people of Jesus are here and that you would know if there's nowhere else to go, I can go knock on that door. I don't know. I don't know if the church still has that vibe anymore. Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't. But like Yes and no. Kind of. Right? And and I think the people of Jesus can be that but you can't necessarily see it from 23 miles out. Right. But anyway, it's it's just like god even put in the rhythms of his people and the rhythms of the church to remember things. That's communion.

Right? These are the things we're like sometimes like, well, we'll look at these look at these pharisaical rituals. No. No, man. Look at the gift that God has given you to not forget these types of things. It's and so Take it as a hint. That's right. You're gonna forget. That's right. Exactly. And don't shackle yourself with it. Play with it like sprinkles. Like, and so it's just a, I think it's a good reminder. In fact, I've thought of that. I think someone had asked me one time to like, you know, tell me the things that God has done with your life. And like, I could tell a broad story, but I had a moment of panic because I thought

it's probably a thousand things. Right. Of which felt super impactful at the moment. And then what happened? I got distracted by something. I read a book, I had a baby. I shot hoops on a basketball hoop that's two feet lower than standard because it makes me feel awesome. Like whatever these things are that start to take over and replace things that I intended to remember. And that felt super impactful except for you can look in the corner and see we got, we have popsicle sticks on ours. We've got some rocks and like the rocks are the big things. Popsicle sticks are the, are the bugs, are the bugs in the tortilla press. The rock is the lady on the subway and like we have something like that on a little stand in the kitchen. But hey, you've been listening to live from the past. Thanks for hanging out with us so far. Hey, if you're on, if you're hanging out on the live stream, I I have gotten a smattering of reports

of the live stream not behaving and so just know like we're recording the show, we'll replace it, we'll get the local recording backup for your enjoyment pleasure if you're having struggling with the ride stream. That sounds like something to throw onto the Life of the Path Complete Yeah. Oh, yeah. You should say that. Let's say you say, I came to list. I don't care what this blowhard business that you guys are normal about. Give me more JPB. Yeah. And I came and I've never listened to your show before. And now it's rife with technical difficulties. And if this is what I'm to expect, I'm going back home. So if you wanna say that out loud because you feel like it it emboldens you in the world, you give a call to the life from the path Bob Eisenhower complaint line. That's 515515551170085. What is happening? 0085.

Why is this happening to me? (515) 517-0085. That's call or text. Okay? If you're if you don't wanna bother to dial it in. Now if you really wanna get your eye across, here's the deal. I was at a coffee shop today and I was I was on the phone doing work stuff and this woman interrupted the phone call I was on and she go, what was it that Bubba? She said something like, do you know how loud you're being? Do you understand how loud you're being? Yeah. She was sitting a foot and a half behind him at a table when they were like 13 other tables sitting right behind him and going, your voice is projecting right into the window and coming right back at me. Do you realize how loud you're being? I almost died laughing at that. I had to walk away for a moment because that was one of the funniest things I've ever heard in life. Yeah. And I thought to myself, I really hope she has friends here by the time that I get on a call because I am much louder than Ben. Which which made me think I need a card that's got the complaint lane on it. They say

Madam? I'm making them. That would Here's what you do. And I'm so mad I didn't have those is one big podcast. That's right. Just I do have a complaint line. Yes. Here you go. I've set this up. If we're talking about the kind of person you are, I was also talked to by the baristas at that coffee shop that you looked like an insane person walking around for an hour on a phone call with earbuds in that no one had any idea you had in. Oh, yeah. And so you looked like you were talking to yourself in a full conversation with iterations for a full hour. And and she said, do you know him? Are you good with him? Because he seems crazy. I thought it was awesome. Hey, we picked up a listener at the at the coffee shop. We did. I don't know her name, but she followed us on Instagram. Hey.

Think I think it had something to do. I don't remember your name. Thanks for for following us on Instagram today. We're up to, like, Yeah. Hey. If she said she was gonna listen, Ben and I tried to tell her not to. Yeah. So I don't know. But let John's on the show tonight. He's redeeming the whole Yeah. Yeah. She's gonna be like, I saw John. I loved it. Hey. Listen. Listen. We're not we're not even close to half. Yeah. Okay. So what do you wanna be? So what do you wanna do? Okay. John John needs to play one more tune before we talk about something else and then he'll lead the show out in case we need to rescue it at the end. Okay. Alright. Okay. That's a lot of pressure. Okay, John. What's next on the docket? Great. It's funny. Like, after our conversation or before the show, now I'm kinda like, do I use the expression explicitly Christian? Yeah. Purveyor of explicit Christian music. So don't think by what I'm about to say that the song is explicit, but it is explicitly Christian and that it's like I have a spectrum of songs.

So the children can stay in in in the room? Yeah. Yes. They can. This is PG and it's just it's just to say that it's clear from the content of the song that it is Christian. Okay. And that's not always the case with my songs. They kind of exist on a spectrum. I'd say, like, you know, the the a small fraction of them are very clearly Christian. Yep. Actually, I would say the bulk of them are clearly Christian.

A small fraction are like kind of Sunday morning worship songs. Mhmm. And then another smaller fraction on the other end are songs that just they sound like they could be a secular song, but are in alignment with Christianity or Christian friendly. Yep. So there there there is nothing anti Christian in it. Right. Not at all. And so this is my song that is out of all of my tunes, it's a clearly a Christian song, but it's the one that I think is the most just crowd friendly, I guess, is the best way. Like, it could it could appeal to a wide the wide audience. Okay. And it's called Collide.

And you know, one of the things I'm doing with my songs if I stick to my guns is I'm I'm recording them in the order that I wrote them. Mhmm. So I'd like to do it like a chronological release, a single by single. Yep. And this one, I don't know where it's at in that mix, but it'll be a long time before I record it if I, if I stick to my guns. So, but yeah, this is it's a song about Jesus, about the cross and what what really like happens there and the

that it is it's the place where I have to go and we all have to go to be able to, give and receive forgiveness well, from God, for others, from others. It's kinda like the peacemaking place

where you go find peace because as soon as I start forgetting how much I've been forgiven, it's hard for me to forgive. And and I think that's likewise for people who need to forgive me. Yeah. Totally. So that's what where this song comes from. It's called Collide. Alright. You're listening to, John Paul Birch on Live From The Path.

Meet me where the thorns of fear and pride are no longer

in our size. Meet me where the tears of joy

and praise flow from feeling heaven's grace. Meet me where forgiveness

cost so much, but it's worth our loved ones touch.

Meet me where the day turned dark as night where our god won every

fight. Meet me where forgiveness cost too much, but it's worth

touch. Where Jesus Jesus hangs on our cross where we are no

Thank you all so much. Oh, man. That was John Paul Birch here on live from the path path with the song Collide. Perhaps to to be recorded years from now on the based on the You never know. Chronological execution. I mean, like, if I start recording them faster, then maybe it's next year. You guys start burning through them. Yeah. Okay. I find myself almost having a physical reaction to these songs, and, like, I mean from the perspective of, like, when it's when it's quiet at the beginning, I feel, like, pulled in to listen to it, And then you just, like, get louder in in great ways, and I have to step back for a second to take it in. And I literally found myself going back and forth through that song of, like, I'm listening quietly and sitting here in reflection, and, oh my gosh. This is fantastic and I have to step back. That was awesome. I loved that. That is good. He's because that sweater he has on pulls you in. I wasn't gonna say it that way. You're like, yeah. There's there's a lot of magic in the sweater. That's right. He's gonna tell a nice like a story, and then you're kind of paying real close attention, and then wham. Yeah. It's it gets you. It's just like, yeah, you know, it's like the mister Rogers, you know, vibes. You know, bring you in, and then, you know, the Cory Taylor influence sends you home.

My wife's gonna ask me to get a sweater now. Dang it. Oh, Mike, did you ever did you Goodwill. Goodwill. Story, did you think your wife would tell you to get a sweater? I already own one. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Hey. What? I want you to get in the same sweater, and we can do a who wore it better. Mine's got a wide mine's got a wide collar. It's the same same kind of operation gray. Yeah. Yeah. But it's got a but it runs a Oh, yeah. Those are nice. The problem is this, fellas. Neither of none of us are gonna wear it well enough though. No. Here's what I want to happen. Mike, I want you to self a selfie with this sweater on. Got it. And, John, I want you to selfie with your sweater on, and we're gonna we're gonna do who wore it better on Instagram. Done. But I can do that, but I'm be honest with you. I think I have a gray one too that I can wear also. Can I get in on this? Yeah. Yeah. Do you have to wear an undershirt? Yes, Mike. This is why we don't let him off TikTok. Okay? Do you wanna make it fair? I'm

just asking. It won't be a fair comment. And we're answering. The answer is yes. You have to wear an underside. That's all I wanna know. That's a good point. Meet Moses. No. It's not a good point. Yes. Wear it. You know, if you're gonna tilt the scales if you do it, then it becomes about how much how much Don't say anything. How much Don't say anything. I don't need hamburger meat or nothing. Just I know yes. I was gonna say chest wig but fine. Yeah. Chest wig. Yeah. Medusa manly. Medusa manly. Oh, man. You you asked why he doesn't get a TikTok. This is why. It's because this is what he'll do for thirty seconds. That's all of them talking at once. Soon as someone said chest wig, I saw Dan get closer to the microphone.

Dan's like, I've got one of those. This is my time to shine. Okay. So I think we're gonna move. Let's skip the six things. Good. Boo. So let's let's round robin on like like podcast or like preachers or something who you feel like what what what's the premise? Who have had an impact on you or that you you reach back for or Yeah. Not just like I like, we don't just want like a podcast that you think are good, but like they they they did something for your faith. Right? Like Yeah. Like you could think of it like a specific time where they did something or or

like they there's their particular teaching or whatever like, if you had one chance to try to give the gospel to somebody, you're like, hey, Ted, you gotta listen to this. Oh. Hey, I'm a tell you, I that never works though. No, it doesn't ever. Right. Right. Anytime anytime the lord has used a podcast to really like to to to do something powerful in their life. As soon as you recommend it to someone else, they listen to it and go. It's real good. I don't think that did anything for you. Yeah. Did we just talk about how not putting the lord in the box and the So what is the thing? We're saying if you erroneously try to recommend somebody, we're not saying the holy spirit's gonna be alright with it. We're just gonna say Just be be prepared for the like, yeah, that didn't Yeah. Yeah. It was alright. I know. Like, that changed my life. Yeah. Yeah. That wrecked me. Yeah. I listened to five k each other. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. I've been I've been in tears at the end of that. But I didn't realize was my wife all time. I'm like, woman, you gotta check this out. She's like, I don't know. I'm like, yeah. I don't know. I'm weeping in the car by Here's your the the problem is the same same with my wife. I can't, like, tell her the podcast that I I've listened to and say they were super impactful, but I can't also just talk about them because then she'll think that I'm smart and that I was the one who came up with the thing that I learned from the podcast. Yeah. Mhmm. I've ran into that a couple times where I've had to check and be like, oh, no. No. That wasn't me that came up with that, by the way. I got that from a podcast. I guess I recommended that you were like, so maybe you should listen to Yeah. Maybe if you hear it in my voice for some reason, you'll think it's better. Okay. So change your world may or may not impact anybody past the dull roar type of podcast or sermons or something. Mhmm. Okay. Who's who's got one ready to go? I got three. Okay. You start with one and we'll make our way around. Got one, Say, Mike, do you got something in mind? I'm thinking. Okay. I will okay. We'll get sorry. Mike,

if you got something, we're coming your way. Okay. Okay. Life from the path, Mike. Go ahead. I got I've I've and I you gotta you gotta hear some It's great so far. Well, I I I've tried this that you can't listen. I don't know. You can't listen to the band. Right? But like a Mark Driscoll did did a men and men and marriage sermon where he just straight up like yelled at dudes. Like You're gonna take it. I totally needed it. You cannot listen to it to almost any of the rest of his teaching. You can't follow him as a man of of integrity. But I'm telling you this particular sermon, like, it showed up right when I needed it. I needed I needed someone to hold me to account and say that God expected more out of me and this sermon did it. And I probably shared that with every dude with testicles I could find. Yeah. I'm like, you gotta listen to this. Hey, man. You gotta listen to this. Hey, let me send you over this thing. Hey, you guys might have been one of them. Yeah. You guess what I'm talking about? So that if I had to go right off the bat and and name one that like, it really felt like it beat me up, it was that one. Here's here's here's I I think part of the impact of of of that particular sermon but even things of that ilk is it it it took it took being a man seriously. Yeah. Like it said, you have something, God is trying to do something through you and and you're sitting on your brains

completely not doing it. And it it's what it felt like. It's it's such a weird thing, but I think we've seen this even as you think about, and Mike, you can speak to this better than I can, but you think about some like youth groups and stuff. When you start engaging in relationships with kids who who have had kind of dicey home lives, especially in absent dads or just straight up jump ball dads. But like there's there's something about holding like portraying to somebody that there is a standard for you where it feels like one, it's a critique at you but it also implies that there's a there's a value within you that you are simply blocking. That there's a belief that you are

better than what you are expressing out to the world and someone believes enough in you that it can express itself to call you up to it. You know what I'm saying? And so like, that sermon takes lot of heat. As a matter of fact, when they did that to fall of Mars Hill thing, like that sermon got beat up pretty heavy. And like, again, I'm with you. There's there's questionable things certainly about about Mark Driscoll, but like there was something about someone

who goes, fellas, God's got more than what you're doing right now. Yeah. And and it it it pulls you down, but at the same time builds you up to something. There's something my I go to Lutheran Church of Hope. And I was at the West Des Moines campus for several years and now I'm at Hope Elam. But the senior pastor at West Des Moines, Mike Householder, he often says, you are made for more. And he says it in just such a like right, like tone. Yeah. It's like it's like, you know, like yelling at essentially like more than I am. But the way when he says that oftentimes, the way he's I it's gotten into my own vocabulary where it's like, that's the best, like, it's not correction. It's like calling you up. It's what you're made for and what you have in you to do. Yeah. And it's like it's just like the best kind of motivator from one of you. Yep. Yeah. Agreed. Yeah. Totally. Okay. Hits the spot. Oh, man. That was that was the first one I ever heard. I was totally gonna say that too. So thanks for stealing it. But that

was the first one I got that was real like end of Proverbs, Gird your loin stuff that was like, hey, man. Do you have any idea where I hold the snow? Yeah. Do you And the joke. Do you yeah. Exactly. Like, oh, yeah. End of joke. Sorry. Do you have any idea like like who's the one who's in like, where who tells the the goat where to go? Like, you don't know anything. Here's who I am. Right. And I was like, oh, cats. That's what I needed. Yeah. And at the, like, in the last five minutes of that, when he like, he gets that real quick like deep breath and then screams to where he loses his voice. Yeah. I think I was maybe 18, maybe 19 when I heard that and it scared the out of me and I was like, I've never had a man speak to me like this, and it's on a computer. And this is I'm like, I don't wanna be in a room with my with Patrick's call right now. Like, I do not wanna be there. That's right. He's gonna look me in the face and be like, you little boy. And I'll be like, yeah. Me. And I I I'm I'm six foot three. Like, I did I'm it was scary for me. He's like five two. I that's that's what I was saying. Like, I'm not kidding. He's five two. Met the man. I've been a bouncer for years, and I feel like I could I've I've been in the intimidation place, but, like, I feel like he'd look up at me, and I'd be like, I'm really I'm really sorry, mister Driscoll. I apologize for for what I said there and how I was treating everybody around me. So, yeah. No. I could totally attest to that. Yeah. So.

Alright. Nathaniel, what do you got? Paul Washer. I knew okay. I knew you were gonna take you to Paul Washer. Yeah. Paul Washer. Shocking youth message. Dig it. Is it now is it the same Like, same kind of thing? What

pulled you in about it? I don't even know. I was sitting on my couch in my dorm room and I don't know how it even came up, but it came across the YouTube and I sat there and I watched it and it convicted me into following Jesus. And, yeah, it was just awesome. It was one of the biggest life changing things that I have ever seen or taken in is this shocking youth message. Okay. Wow. And it's like like you converted as a result of this one single? Or maybe you were wouldn't say necessarily. I it just

like, I I kinda came up in the church and then this I gotcha. But didn't really understand all the way, like, just never came together in my mind, I guess. And then I watched this message by Paul Washer and then directly after it, I listened to a message by Dan. Oh. And those two coupled together, I was like, I think I believe in Jesus.

The thought that like for a while you're just putting on the uniform and then there's a switch to sometimes where you're I am the uniform. Right. Where like you become the thing that you were trying to walk in. And that's what that was kinda like the the climax of the message. He he gives an example where he's like, if I came here and I said, hey, I was late, I walked in late, and I said, sorry I was late, I was hit by a log truck. Mhmm. And you say, obviously you're not hit by a log truck, you're, you know, you're just fine. It's like, well, you know, that's how you walking around saying I'm a Christian and not having anything different about your life. Yeah. Whoo. Yeah.

That's like that microwave slow cooker. Yeah. That's how you act. But but times 10. And then so like I came away from that sermon and was like, man, so what? Like, is it all about doing things and working and being, you know, and then I listened to this message by Dan and he gives an example of, I don't know why, I click really well with the pithy sermon examples. Yeah. And he says, you know, I love my wife Cheryl and I sometimes throw my my socks on the ground and she hates that. And so now I throw them in the laundry hipper. Why? Because I love her. I'm like, oh, wow. That's fun. That's awesome.

That's so awesome. I mean, my mind was just blown wide open. I was like and I prayed right then. Do do I believe in Jesus? Yeah. Do. So I should go do it. Oh my goodness. That's great. That's awesome. Okay. This is great. Dan, you know that hamper thing was gonna play like that? Yeah. I had a plan. Yeah. Okay. That's a figure so. I figured so. I was told that. Said this is gonna be a good one. Is I'll put it in my tweetable tweets. I'm a I'm a grab Nathaniel with this one. Dan goes Dan goes, this is gonna bowl over the teens. It's pretty big. Have one apart from the the Driscoll thing, Bubba? Yeah. Yeah. So when it comes to podcast that's been impactful for me, Tim Mackie in the Exploring My Strange Bible. Oh, yeah. Yep. His podcast. Oh, dude. Some of the stuff that he goes into and he completely just just completely

checks what I think I understand. Like, what I think I get about this whole thing and I'm just like, yeah. I've understood that. I've read my Bible multiple times. Like, I've read, I've gone through it all and he's like, yeah, but did you slow down ever and like actually read it? And I go, I think so, Tim. And then he shows up and he's like, no, you did not. Let me tell you why you never read it. And and I'm going to tell you how I read all of it and then studied it in four languages. And and I did an acute infographic. So, here you go. Here's here's to wreck everything you ever knew. And so that's that is an impactful podcast. I I I highly recommend it anybody. But when it comes to like someone who's taught me something that that just completely wrecked me.

Was a guy that used to be on the show, Dave Herrick. Yep. I went through I went through a a class of his and the the sad part is is I can't recall one specific class that changed it but it was it was that guy. Yeah. I did not understand what it looked to like what we call just smell like Jesus. Like just flat out did not know what it looked like. And I had such a fake and cultivated

relationship that I I put out that I wanted people to see and I I really manicured it to look as good as possible and then he shows up and I meet him and I get to know him and I go, I I look I look like a pansy in every situation. I'm fake. I'm not showing up with the real Jesus and I don't know him and I don't call him father and I have I've literally have never met him the way that that Dave Herrick had and

it was it was interesting situation. It was the same thing I talked about a couple weeks ago where he gave me all the money in his wallet to buy a car. And money was a big thing and always has been for me and I don't really know why but like I suck at trusting god with money. I just flat out do and I'm getting better at it thankfully but like I did not understand it because I had said, I'm gonna buy this car in a couple of days but I couldn't buy it that day because I can get to the bank and the dude pulls out like, I think it was $800 out of his wallet and he just hands it to me and he goes, buy the car today and I go, I, no, you're out of your mind and he goes, I don't, god, this is this, I don't care. Take it and pay me back next week and this was this was at a time where I had no reason to be trusted by anybody. I lied to everyone around me. I really did manicure at all and he just was like, I'm whatever. You're taking it. I feel holy spirit moving to and I went by the car and I came back to him a week later and I was I was pumped because the whole week, I was like, I don't know if he'd ever call me out on it if I didn't give the money back. And I could I could just I could steal $800 from this man and it wasn't meant to be nefarious. It was just like, I kind of suck as a person and I don't think anybody's going to expect anything out of this. And I'm like 19 and it makes sense. Everybody hates me.

But I come back a week later and I go, hey, man. And I'm I'm like jazzed up that I was being honest it was that part of my life when I was like, yes. I didn't do the really crappy move. Like, I actually showed back up with the money. And I'm like, I'm an alright guy. Like, this is okay. I may know Jesus. And I go to hand in the money and he goes, I I don't need it back. And I go, wow. Okay. Okay. This isn't Nope. This isn't cool. I need to give you this money back. And he goes, no. I want you to give it to a charity. And I'm like, I hate you so much right now. And he was like, no. I'm gonna give you I'll tell you a good charity to give it to. And I'm like, you weren't I I did the thing. I showed up with the money. Don't don't test me further than this, dude. Like, it's astonishing that I showed back up with this and didn't lie about a story where I got mugged or something or couldn't come up with the money or whatever. Like, just take it.

And he saw right through it. Holy Spirit style. He was like, no. No. I I I need you to give this to this charity. And he wrote down the name of the charity and gave me the the name of the website. And I went back and I pulled up this website and I'm like, I don't think I'm going do this. I don't think I'm going give this money away. I think I'm going to keep this and tell him I did it. Oh. And I'm like, I can't be that guy. I can't. I can't be that guy and know him.

Like, because one, it's the shame of going back to him and going, yeah, I did it. Mhmm. Yeah. We both love Jesus. Right? But it was also from the perspective of like, I can't see that in my life and see somebody that smells like Jesus and pretend like I can call him my father and do that kind of move. Yeah. It's it's it's it's totally it's it's kinda like the the the sock on the floor. But like it's it's the it's once once you get to know, you know, Jesus, like, you start to feel uncomfortable about when Jesus is in the house. Yeah. And the thing that you also brought in, you're like, I can't shoot. Yeah. I was I was like, I can't I can't do that. I can't be that guy. Yep. And so I gave it, I gave all the money to the charity and and I came back to him and I think it it was almost like he didn't even remember that he did it. Yeah. And that was the craziest part to me because like something that was so impactful and that just

wrecked my understanding of myself and and my relationship with Christ was just a Tuesday for him. Mhmm. And I'm like, this is life shattering things and he's like, no. What? What do you what? I gave you money? And I'm like, I hate you so much right now. I'm with that. But at the same point in time, thank you for showing me Jesus. Yeah. Like, thank you for showing me. It's hey, and and and that was that was one of the biggest moments for me was was that moment of seeing somebody that really smelled like Jesus. Yeah. And being real about it and that dude just, I mean, just constantly wrecked me and I almost fought him at a gas station one time but that's a story for another time. Yeah. That's a great story. I almost punched him in the face over a hot dog. I'm being real honest about that. But that dude just smelled like In a fact, he tried to buy you a hot dog and you were like, dude. No. He made me throw a hot dog away and I almost hit him. Oh. Yeah. Long story. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, if there's there's an episode, if you look at the backlog, there's an episode called Gone Gone Buba and that was that was when Troy, right when he moved and left to to go to Pennsylvania. Oh, yeah. And he did tell that story there. So if you wanna hook up with that story, just search for Gone Gone Buba and that'll be back there. Yeah. So thanks Dave Herrick. Yep. I appreciate you man. Okay, right on. Alright. So I have a podcast. Okay.

Well, it's not necessarily a podcast, but it is now. So now it's Tim Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At first, was just their app. And the summer that I came, this first summer I had as a believer, I listened to probably every single day a sermon from him. And it was just like, I just could not get enough. Like, was just it was just so powerful to me. His

his breaking things down the way he did, his just the the style that he gave it in, the expertise that he brought, like, I mean, all the things, his voice, which is just like, you know, if I I feel like he would be a contender for voice of god in any kind of script but yeah, he just

those in his books and all that but it wasn't necessarily podcast but now I'm listening to the Gospel in Life podcast which is just essentially the same thing. It's a bunch of his sermons, just his old sermons and I don't think I've ever had a sermon by him where I wasn't just like, wow. Yeah. Right. Like, this is true. Yeah. I can't believe that. Like, I just can't believe how true this is. You know? Like, this is wild. You know? I gotta be honest. That's what I really liked about that collide song. Right? Because we talk about this a lot that like the truth of of Jesus can't be brought without the love of Jesus. Right? Right. And any doing either one of those without them together is not how Jesus did it. Yeah. Right? Like he did not love without saying true things and he never said true things loving. Yes. And so like that collide song is almost perfect because it's exactly what you're talking about. You're like, this is so true and like what is true is that like I am so deeply known and loved and Yeah. Like honestly deeply known and loved. You know what's awesome is that the word collide actually, I was gonna say this like, gives you the the image of two things barreling fast at each other that combined as they're not just like casually bumping into each other. Strength of both coming together. Like it's a great word for how we think about that. Yeah. Thanks. Yeah.

I don't take credit for it. It's one of those funny things as a songwriter now believing and believing that God is so instrumental in my songwriting, because on one hand I'm like, I give all credit to God for every single thing I do, But on the other side, I feel like that's kinda sound like I mean, this this like, I'm hyping this up a little bit. Like, this better be good. And it's like but at the same time, it's true. Your honesty and that's so much. I like, I have had so many people to come on this show that's like, really, everything I've done is because of Jesus, and all that I do, it's everything I've I've done. By the way, this song came from the lord directly. Right. Really, it's like, this better be good. It's a funny mix where I'm like, I mean, I guess this is I mean, it really does feel like it came from god but like, you know. Yeah. God don't write no stinker. This better be a good man. He he that'd be good. Okay.

Alright. So Tim Keller. Oh, man. Tim Keller for John. Always. Yeah. Right on. Yeah. I do like Tim Keller. Mike, did you have one? I don't really have a podcast, but what made me finally step up to man was to be the man that I needed to be was a Tony Evans. Mhmm. You know? Just kingdom man. Yep. You know, stepping up and being that man of the house, the foundation

of my family, finally eating dinner with them. Yep. You know? And to stop watching that TV and stuff. Because my wife is so supportive of me where she's like, oh, you work so hard. You you could watch TV. I'll do the dinner and stuff, and I could have been that guy that just took advantage of that. Right? Yeah. But that was just listening to Tony Evans and say, hey. You need be be the example. Be that and step up. Go wash those dishes. Go do, you know, what needs to be done for look who's watching you. Yeah. Kids. Yeah. Right. The the future, you know, you're, you know, so that's that's the one I always recommend. Yeah. That's right on. I you know, and and again, I I think it it hits on the I think for fellas that, like, there's just something that's that says, look, I'm calling you to bet. And I think I think we feel this. Right? Like, you kinda know it when you're sitting down not doing anything. But, like, the they're just something something that god stirs inside you. This is the best I am.

Well, like My wife said I could play video games. We got at least thirteen more minutes. I'll be honest, Mike, your explanation that goes you know, my wife goes, yeah, you should go out and watch TV. Was like, what do you get? What kind of class do you send the wives through? That's never happened to me. Well, also got another good one. My wife says I'm 99.9% of the time I'm right. Wow. Seriously, if it's a correspondence course or whatever, I mean, I'll pay. Maybe it's like a something in the air where you just drive by your place, baby. Amen. We have to shut the podcast. My

my wife and I got married and, like, I I didn't really play any video games, but, like, her brother gifted me a PS four just to be a nice guy. And my wife was like, you should play more video games. And I went, who are you? What are you talking about? I was like, that's not how this goes. What do you mean? And she goes, no, honey. You worked hard today. And I'm like, I I did nothing today. What are you talking about? I'm like, I don't know what kind of honeymoon phase we're still in, but that is absolutely not the truth. She goes, you're just so stressed out from everything you do. Thank you. Play video games. And I'm like, lord, is this You're a stressed out. Go outside. You're not gonna be I Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. You don't get to be stressed out in here. Go build something. My wife goes vibe with me. I love Skyrim, and I can't wait to see you play with your characters. And I'm like Your character? This is this is the reason god loves me is is like like, I he shows off this way, and he's like, here, I'm gonna give you a wife that loves that you play video games. I don't think they were growing ladies like this in the early two thousands, Mike. Are you speaking to this? What's the matter with you? Yeah. You guys gotta be careful. No. I was just asking you in general. It's not my experience. Dan. Yeah. So, I mean, it seems like everybody we we go back to those pivotal times in our lives Yep. And and god sends tends to speak through what maybe everybody else thinks is is mundane, whatever, but it's but it but it hits us. Yep. Like for me, if I go back to 18 year old Dan, the Internet didn't exist yet,

and podcasts weren't a thing. What do you think? I got I got a wager on what I got a wager on what you're gonna say. What's the thing? It it was it was mister Rogers' Neighborhood. No. It wasn't. No. You you know what I'm gonna say. Because I haven't said it before. I mean, it's like I had a really no no father figure in my life, and I thought I was 18 years old. I needed to figure figure out how to be a a dad and a husband. I had no clue, and so focus on the family. Is that what you're gonna say? Yep. That Got it. That was my thing. Yep. And and that every every single day, it was a different topic, different thing, but it was like stuff I'd never heard in my life. You know? It was like, this is this is crazy. And and I I had a girlfriend, but it wasn't, you know, it was it was more looking to the future of what what my my wife would be. And then after that, Chuck Swindoll would come on. I didn't know who Chuck Swindoll was. I listened to him. Yep. Just because it was the next thing. It was on the radio. I like Chuck Swindoll. Yeah. He's Swindoll. Good stuff. I saw this stuff. Yeah. And and at that time, I was going into studying ministry, so I'd like kinda listen to it in in a technical way, like, how does he put this together?

And then later on, I would I would like buy tapes from guys. Right? So so Bob Russell, Mike Bro. I I I mean, for years, I I get their tapes in. I listen to their to the cassette tapes. I had cassette tapes. But here's the thing. I get in recent years, like, I I've I've done all the podcast stuff too. Like, I've done what's his name? I always forget his name. You were talking about Driscoll. Driscoll. Yeah. Perry, Noble You always call him Driscoll too. Yeah.

Driscoll burger. And I loved it and I and I enjoyed it. But it seems like everybody in the last fifteen years that I will listen to and really dial into, like, they they blow up. I know. Yeah. Yeah. You know, so I'm like, and I'm like, And then then these are okay. People are people. I get it. You know, they're humans. So so I don't I don't like holding against them. It's just like, it's not the same for me now as it was Yeah. What? Fifty, forty years ago. Whatever. How old am I? Right? Hey. When I was 18, cassette tapes didn't bring the ego that the Internet brought. Oh, sometimes it yeah. I think that's there's some truth in that, though. Right? Well, there's absolutely Nobody retires before they, like, fall. Like, everybody goes back in the little hey. How many tapes did we sell today, Martha? I mean, you know, they that that was going on. I'm sure. The fact that you said Martha is the name of that situation also says how long ago that was. That was a long time ago. My wife Martha is very upset about you about it. Just play those video games, honey. When we started Pathway Church, one of the first things I did is I bought a tape duplicator so I could measure the effectiveness of the message. You're on your way, Dan? And every day, I'd be like, hey, guys. How many tapes did we sit? We got 30 on that one. I'm like, yeah. Yeah. I'm pretty sure that happened when I was about 10. So yeah. Think I was one of the kids in that basement. Yeah. But so I mean, it's so valuable stuff and I and I I gained stuff from Driscoll, Mark, and and and from Perry and Oldboy, you know, and and the guys that that have kinda disappeared.

There's there's nobody current I like the bible guy, Mackie. Yep. Do like Mackie. I do like that. You know, there's stuff. Anymore, I I I've just not connected with a particular one. Just I'll put in a topic and and just find something. I'll listen to two or three people on that topic and I I like that more than anything. Yeah. Probably because I'm not invested in like, I'm not like, hey because they keep letting you down. Drinking or you don't deify them as a person. You think you're a hero? I mean, I I just I can just get the bible content and and kinda soak it in. Okay. Can pick some stuff out of that. Yeah. So I've kinda evolved in in that world so. Yeah. I would, you know, if there's a theme in that, I think there's there's it's part of what we talked about not putting God in a box or the spirit in the box. I think we have to be cautious enough to put the Bible in a box. Like the belief that like this is our finite human wisdom has got this thing figured out. That's why like listening to guys like Tim Mackie and and and others that are able to look at scripture and start again, what seems it's it's deeper, it's wider, it's higher. Yep. And I think it's again, it's a con a constant humility

on even as we think about interacting with other Christians on how we've interpreted the Bible or things like that. It's just being humble in that and allowing scripture to be bigger than me. And I think that's handy. I was thinking kind of about that today when I was thinking about Tim Keller's sermons and everything and I was just thinking about like, man, I can't like, he preaches with such a confidence that he understands like where Jesus is coming from and what he's teaching in something like some particular thing and and like he just has these like wonderful insights

that like I'm like, how are like, how do you how did you find like get this such a like, how do you have such a handle on these things at all? Yep. Like, and but I think too, probably, if you talk to him, he probably, he probably would a, say that he was given an insight by God through his study and reading of scripture, and two, that his diving deeper into it only makes it more overwhelming to him like that. Oh, yeah. Just how he's only scratched the surface. Man, yeah, actually, I've I've I've was listening to something recently with on an NT Wright on his podcast, And, like, that was the interesting thing. That guy still does I mean, he's he's produced a billion books. No. He did a podcast. Well, yo. Yeah. He's there's an ask N. T. Wright podcast, which is interesting because, like, he's done, like, super scholarly stuff and then, like, accessible things. But it's like like a lot of the questions to him are like pastoral. Like he was the Bishop of Durham. Like he he was a pastor. He did like these pastoral things. Anyway, like listening to him answer

kind of a day to day questions are interesting from a guy that like, you know, it's like gone deep on everything. Right. In some form or another. But like, listen to him talk about like his his daily reading. That guy's like getting up in the morning at 06:30 and reading the the Greek New Testament for like half an hour. And and so like, this is a guy so so a guy who you would look and go, he knows, you know, a billion things more than I do, still opens the morning searching the scriptures for God to speak to him. You know I'm saying? And so like, it's it's it's kinda thought that same thing, like when you're giving the example of Tim Keller, it's like, the the the even those guys would go, oh, I've not even scratched this right here. And then I like to again, without getting like too deep into like potentially I don't know what I'm trying to say, but like a high conflict material, like one of the I I I was at a spot about a year and a half ago, I started getting into a place where I was like, I was struggling with some like realization

of the disagreement that exists over interpretations of things and Sure. And t Wright and Tim Keller were actually like two folks who they disagree on some things that where I was like, where? Shoot. How can I, where am I? Like, what am I going to do? Like, how am I ever going to come to any like like, who am I? Like, these guys, this is their full time living for the last forty years and they can't agree on like. Exactly. On some pretty important stuff. It's like it it got it just it was like one of those, man, this is hard. Yes. This is gonna be tough. Yep. Yep. And and actually, you know what? One of the things, like, listening to a and reading a wide smattering of of of teaching and folks and stuff, like what I've been becoming more and more comfortable with over the years was like, is still God here. Like, so between if you think of the things that the guys like Tim Keller and N. T. Wright are arguing over, they're both arguing for God's rulership, God's sovereignty, God's ability to control situations. There's there's variations on the levels of things that humans are comfortable with. But like none of them misplaced my understanding of how God looks at the world and a right understanding of who he is. Now we're talking about things that like I think

when I see Jesus, He'll explain it to me and I'll go, Oh, okay. I'll get it. It's at least evidence that like some of the disagreements exist in the church, at least my opinion is like and I imagine you guys would share it, is it like, if folks who are so diligent and like have so much time and expertise can't agree on some things,

like it's reason to give pause and go like, you know, this is hard. Yeah. Like, this is not this is not cut and dry. Like, it's not as cut and dry as a lot of folks want it to be. Yes. Right. You know? Yeah. And and even even if there is if and when there are, like, someone's right and someone's wrong. You know, it's just like don't have arrogance to say like, how could you possibly think this? Right. Because look at like how, you know, easy it is for folks to disagree who are really like who 10 times more more time to spend on this than I do for most of us. Yeah. That's right. That's right. Like at the end, if we look and go, you know, as humans, we're having a hard time feeling like we fully understand and know an incredible creator God. Well, doesn't that sound right? Yeah, exactly. Sounds Yeah. About Yeah. Okay. Is it did everybody go? Everybody went by you. Okay. I'm up. So so I I actually I would say mine if if I had to probably three three spans in life. I think the first one was was Mark Driscoll and I think the the reason for that primarily was is he took he was the first guy that I'd heard

speak like everybody took the Bible seriously but like he kinda took it a step further and and goes, no, no, like this this changes everything. And not just changes everything from a like, oh, we you can go to heaven type of thing, but like this changes what you do day to day. And like I think I had not heard someone talk about it with such force that that was the truth and that like, no, really don't walk out of here. This changes everything.

And so that hit pretty hard and it took the Bible seriously. Like he spoke about it in such a way and he was going like I'd heard a lot of topical stuff up to that point but like watching him like go through books of the Bible like line, not exactly line by line, at least section by section was like, oh, he's spending a lot of time focusing on this thing. And so like it just it it it brought the bible for a sense of something deeper that I think I had not latched on to up to that point. And then there was a transition and Dan's the thing for this is that

introduced me to a guy named Shane Wood and he teaches at Ozark Christian College and he's got his classes and lectures are online. I didn't go to bible school. Right? And so like my I can read commentaries and I can study the word but like I did, there wasn't any formal training in there. And so listening to somebody like kind of lecture on the Bible, like I was just tapped in

because like, again, there was a space to go, hey, you think that's a wild thing that the Bible said? You should, that was a wild thing. Why does the Bible say that? Why are we talking about this? How is this interacting with other things that God's word is telling us? How are people of the time talking about this? Like just the thought that like, there was some really sharp people who were like whatever things that I might be worried about, there are really smart sharp people who've been digging into this thing, mining God's word for depth that I wasn't missing like God was depriving me of it, but it was like an continual unveiling of more and more. You're like, it's like going into a house that you thought had 10 rooms

and the realtor and you get to the end and they're like, okay, that was all 10 and he goes, no, but there's another one. And then every time you get in there, they go, no, wait, there's another one. And so like, was just, it so just much to think about the reliability of scripture, the ability to ask questions of it and go, you know, I don't know. That's interesting but like in such a serious way that goes, it doesn't risk my faith to ask the questions off of inspired human writers in sociocultural

context communicating what it's like to interact with a living God. Like what a that's my experience. And so that that opened up for me and he was really he's he's a winsome like he's he's he's a good he's a really good teacher. And there was something about taking again same thing but on a different level. It wasn't forceful. He's actually pretty kind of softer spoken fella, but he's like, he's the guy who would tell a story that like some guy wants to steal your car and he's like, well, let him have it. Like type of thing. And it just changed the go like, do you take this seriously or these are just things you put on the back of your bumper sticker of your car or put on the side of your thing like, give it away then. And so anyway, that was powerful to me and I think, and then the Bible project kind of extended that. So like a continual continually watching people

go, I mean dive in deeper man. Like God is in here and he's got so much to say and allowing even the biblical writers to let scripture breathe deeper than whatever almost petty cultural things that we're fighting over for the Bible and like some of it is worth fighting over most certainly but like just letting scripture be deeper than whatever thing us humans feel like we've conquered and I think that was the progression of stuff. Alright. Hey. You're listening live for the path. Thanks for hanging out with us today.

But time for fighting for the you prepped an advice. I don't know, man. Okay. You wanna try to fire through it real quick? Let's get through the druid advice and then John's gonna take us out. Okay. Ready? Did you did you you got a preparation to speak about druidism? As far as I understand, druidism is like an under is a belief in the spiritualism of nature and natural objects. I hate that. So to to understand that nature has spirits within them that have power that can be called upon with an understanding and respect alongside it. So but Jesus says the rocks would cry out. Is your thought are you accusing Jesus of being a druid?

I am not. I would say that a druid would probably create a totem of like a tree and recognize that that tree totem may have had a spirit or a piece of a said spirit within it that has power to grant them the ability to do things metaphysically in their own life. I wanna talk to rocks. Is this possible? This is the exact thing we don't have time for. Poova. The exact thing. Poova. Poova. Can I speak with rocks? Dear life from the path. In Diablo two, you can know. Okay. Go ahead. Dear life from the path. My husband is a druid, and I'm worried that he wants to sacrifice me at Stonehenge. You didn't say Spuba didn't say anything about that. I didn't get to that point yet. Mike cut me off. I am 41 and my husband is 43. We've been married for twenty three years in every solstice and equinox. He gets out a big bronze knife and tries to persuade me to come to Stonehenge with him so he can sacrifice me to ensure a good harvest next year. You don't think this okay. I I was making an excuse why I can't go with him. Like, I've got a headache or my mom's got a bad leg, but my excuses are wearing thin. That's wild. He says that lots of his druid friends have sacrificed wives and I'm just being stubborn. Honey, I can't go to Stonehenge. My leg hurts. I don't want to get sacrificed, but I'm afraid I'll lose him if I don't give him what he wants.

Please help me. I am at my wit's end and I don't know what to do. You should lose him. Call the police. I'm just Mike, I'm gonna ask. This gives away this gives away the man behind the curtain but like, is this from the same source of which we normally harvest? No. Okay. Okay. Well, I'm I'm suspicious as as to whether or not this is true. What do mean? From a druidic perspective, I'm fairly certain Stonehenge is is more ley lines in in in Wicca than druidism. So don't know. Are you gonna help this woman or are you? Okay. I would say yeah. I mean, it's time to get out, you know. Get way out. Way Get way Every every equinox and solstice is a lot. Get way out. That's a lot of free Far out as you can get. Plan your vacations on those times. Yeah.

Don't look for ley lines. Yeah. Change your name. Change your identity. Yeah. Yeah. It's okay to it's gonna kick up bait on this one. Go ahead. I mean, he he seems safe the other times of the year. So just just stay away from He only pulls up. Totally, totally sane until the Equinoxes. True. It sounded like her finishing qualm was that if she doesn't give in, that she'll she'll lose him. Yes. But if she does give in. She'll die. She still loses him. That's true. Right. She's gonna lose lose. Well, from her perspective. It I don't believe that that your marriage has has been

like developed in the in the covenant is with god that we call god And so I think in this situation, you could leave. Get out. You you do not have you do not have a covenant with with the god of Abraham. Yeah. I I think it's okay to walk away and find find someone that you can have that kind of covenant with that also won't attempt to sacrifice you twice a year. I I encourage you to not date for a while. Yeah. Maybe you should take in that maybe you're not the best at picking folks. Yeah. Is he a farmer? What does he need a good crop for? No. He might be he might be a farmer. I recommend you delete your profile from druidsonly.com. Okay.

Get away from that as quickly as possible. It's okay to bail. Yeah. Alright. Let's see. Segular Yeah. Segular sis, it sounds to me that you have been leading your druid husband up the garden path a bit. By making excuses every solstice and equinox, while you can't come to Stonehenge to have your throat slitter be eviscerated. You may have given him the impression that you would be happy for him to sacrifice you to oppose the gods when it's convenient. You need to have this is not the same. I don't know where this came from. You need to have a heart to heart with your man and tell him that you love him but that you do not want to be sacrificed in any circumstances. I feel like a heart to heart with that man in that situation might be a double sacrifice, so be careful. It wait a minute. It may be that he finds himself another woman to sacrifice on his pagan altar, but I'm afraid that's a chance you will have to take. There's also a chance that you're not gonna make you you can't make it, like, into Stonehenge. I can't. Just a heads up. I don't think you can, like, go in there with a bronze knife, and then they'll just let you kill somebody. Well, I don't think I could take rando advices from people anymore. That was Oh,

boy. I I feel like Jesus fixes this, and and you should you should meet him. Yeah. My hope is that this is a creative writing and they they they ought to if that is the case totally publish. Yeah. If that is not and this is true, please for the sake of the life, we don't make up immediate changes Yeah. In the way that we're looking at things. Delete that druids only profile. Yeah. Yeah. Druids only. Okay. Hey. You've listening to Life From The Path. Maybe you have a worldly problem and you say, these late night internet fellas can be of assistance to me. No. We can't. And I wanna wait a couple hours into a show to hear it. This we're the guys for you. You can get a hold of the Life From The Path Complaint line sponsored by a local realtor and celebrity, Bob Eisenhower. Yeah. Oh, I love that guy. That's (515) 517-0085. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. Also, if you wanna use that Complaint Line, I'll be honest. Complaint Line is the most likely reason that you're using it, but maybe you thought the show was great. You wanna pass on kudos to John. You wanna encourage him to get out, like, and say, you can need to separate from this relationship with these fellas. You can be I'll pass it on. It's also fair. There's no shame here. I'll say, John, we heard from three people and they said, it's time to bail from Live From The Past. I don't have a problem with that. So, a call or text. We'd love to be able to hear from you

on your feedback on the show. And with that complaint line, you can also hit us up on LFTP show on Instagram. That's live from Best Show on Instagram. You can send us a DM. We do monitor that. I I don't think Mike monitors it though so don't worry about like him responding to you. I don't know it exists. Yeah. So, hit us up on LFTP show on Instagram where we will be we'll be following John now too. So. Yeah. So you can link up on social for that as well. We try and follow some of the people that been on the show. So, if you're looking for people that you've heard of before and are wanting to jump on and meet them as well through that. Again, that's LFTP Show. Okay. Hey, let's let's finish the show on a high note. John's got one more song for us. John, you want tell us it? High note? Was that a pun? Oh, no. Well, I don't know. Unintended? I don't hope I didn't botch. It's a low note. Actually, it did.

Yeah. So, a little setup of the song is it's called We'll Meet Again which is perfect perfect for the end of a show because, you know, I hope that I will, meet all of you again. Yeah. God willing. And, this life for the next, that's kind of what this song is about. It's a, it's become my anthem for believing in hopefully happy reunions with all my loved ones, this life or the next, this life and the next. And it was,

it's the only song that I have released, so you can listen to it on all the different things out there. Spotify and I Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, you know, a million other ones that I don't know the name of. And there's a music video on YouTube.

It's a lot of fun doing this. It was my like I said, was a long time coming. First single, big deal for me. Released it last November with a a studio band, a bunch of friends of mine, and town very talented musicians. And I wrote this song. So this was the the song that I wrote. Start to finish it. It was the last song that I finished before I started home. So I was in the I was in a completely non believing world when I wrote this.

I feel like there's a lot of evidence in this song of God moving in my life and preparing me for the faith that I would have. Yep. I can feel and remember in it attention about even faith in general, there's a lyric in it where it says, I believe we'll meet again. And I originally wrote it as I feel we'll meet again because I didn't wanna say believe. I felt like it was just too far. And so anyway, the song was inspired by my first memory of my grandmother.

And she's alive and well today. We're very close. Her name is Sandra. And she's just been one of the most influential people in my life, one of the most loving figures in my life. And my first memory of her, I'm thinking I was probably first grade or so, kindergarten, first grade. And I just remember being in her living room and asking in all seriousness,

grandma, if you ever pass away, will you write me letters from heaven? That's dead serious. Like there's not an ounce of kidding in me. Right. And so I was thinking, I I just was reflecting on that memory when I started writing this song. I was just really inspired by the childlike innocence of that question. Know, to be like, remember that space of being a kid asking

the dead serious question, know, would you write me letters from heaven? Like that was reality, you know, like for me in a total possibility. Yeah. I really there was a part of me really craving that innocence again, and still is. So I think I was I was on a path trying to find more of that childlike innocence, which I feel like God is totally for

doing in all of us. And so, like I said, it's become my anthem for not only my relationship with my grandmother, and how much I love her and hope that we'll meet again this live for the next in our in our ongoing relationship, but in so many other relationships with all kinds of different reasons why I you know, we're we're parted for now. Hoping that we'll we'll meet again. So I hope you'll enjoy this. Thanks for thanks for having me. Yeah. Alright. You've been listening to live from the path. Make sure you find John Paul Birch on the various social media platforms including TikTok. You can you can find him out there. TikTok star. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. He's breaking out. And so big thanks to John. Yeah. Make sure you follow him on the social so you can see where he's gonna be. You go out to say see him in person. Say, hey. I saw you on live from the path. And, you know, you also be kept up to date when he's got some new music to be able to go out and listen to, buy. Wait. Do you have any merchandise like scenes with your face on it? I do have two shirts left. A medium and an extra small and then I've got more that I'll be ordering hopefully soon. Blake, take the extra small. No. Okay. I thought you, I thought you meant two shirt designs but you mean literally two shirts. Literally two shirts left. One's an extra small, one's a medium. Okay. Yeah but so, yeah, I I I bring em with my to my shows. Okay. And I have more more shirts coming. Okay. Alright. Awesome. Yeah. Hey, man. So it may it it's Christmas is coming around the bend. Get your be prepared for your merchandise. Alright. Thanks so much, John, for coming on. We'll we'll close out the show with well, we'll meet again with John Paul Birch on live from the path.

When you get where you're going, would you let me know? Could you write me a letter wherever you go? Would you write it all down to show me around? Let's stay in touch. Could you send me a note? Just send it afloat.

I love you so much so much so much. When you get where you're going, would you share the view? Could you send me an angel? Show me what to do.

Would you come in disguise but don't hide your eyes? Let's stay in touch. Could you send me your smile every once in a while? I love you

so much so much so much. Although we may

be far away, you're still with me every single day.

I don't know how or when, I believe that we will meet again.

When you get up to heaven, would you let me know? Could you write me a letter wherever you go? Would you write so much

so much. And although we may be far away,

you're still with me every single day. Although

I Thank you, guys. Thank you so much. Alright. Hey, you've been listening live from the Path. A big thanks to John for coming in the studio tonight. Boy, I mean, just just cranking out the hits, man. That was fantastic. Open invitation, John. You're always welcome back on the show. Thank you. I'm glad to be back. It was such a good time. Really had a great time. Very, very cool. Well, so, hey, I wanna thank you guys for listening. Again, feedback on the show. Use that live from the path complaint line, (515) 517-0085. Go check out the past episode, Gone Gone Boob. If you wanna hear the backstory on Dave Herrick following Boob around in the the old Quickie Mart. And, boy, just thanks for hanging out with us tonight. If hey. Oh, just one thing. If you've got something that you wanna share, like favorite podcasts or or or sermons or something, I'd love to hear them. It'd be great. So so we'd maybe we'll go check them out too. Maybe they can help our lives. Anyway, we hope to see you next week. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.